


Sole Rights to Sunshine

by Diary



Category: The Normal Heart (2014)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Bechdel Test Fail, Bottle Episode Fic, Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Conversations, Established Felix Turner/Ned Weeks, Established Relationship, Gen, Insecurity, Jealousy, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Male Friendship, Romance, Unrequited Love, Unrequited Tommy Boatwright/Ned Weeks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 13:38:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6008386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felix is insecure, and Tommy tries to help. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sole Rights to Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own The Normal Heart.

After making his way through the crowd, Tommy hands Felix another drink. “Here you go.” Sitting down, he adds, “Sorry for the invasion, hon.”

“Thank you.” Felix takes a sip. “It’s no problem. I know how important this is.”

Tommy looks over to where Ned and Bruce are talking. “Still, I’ll be glad to help the two of you clean up. Oh, dear lord, are they arguing again?”

“Looks like it,” Felix answers. “What? You aren’t used to it, yet? Last night, Bruce called Ned at three in the morning, and when I woke back up, Ned was still talking. Or actually, he had a dictionary, a thesaurus, and his grandfather’s Torah out and was referencing them as he made his point. Whatever point that was.”

“Oh,” is Tommy’s quiet reply. He turns fully towards Felix. “This might be somewhat awkward, but: Do you want to talk? Ned’s- he’s a good friend to me, but I can be objective about him.”

Felix scoffs.

Tommy turns back to watching the others.

After a stretch of silence, Felix says, “Tommy- I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take things out on you.”

“It’s okay, honey.“You aren’t anywhere near as bad as your boyfriend is. My offer to talk is always open.”

“Once you love someone, you can never fully stop,” Felix says. “Or at least, that’s what I prefer to believe.”

“Well, that’s certainly true,” Tommy replies.

“Ned said he once had feelings for Bruce. But they’re just friends, now.”

“Felix-”

“Ned doesn’t lie, and he’s loyal,” Felix says. “Therefore, I genuinely believe he doesn’t realise he might have been in love with Bruce. He certainly came close, anyways. And I’m not scared of him leaving or cheating.”

“Then, what are you are scared of, dumpling?"

Felix finishes his drink. “That-” He takes a deep breath.

Tommy puts his hand on Felix’s knee. “Take your time, and remember no one but me will hear it.”

“That, someday, Bruce is going to realise- I don’t know,” Felix says. “Have you ever wanted somebody so bad- loved them, even- and all they saw you as was a friend?”

“I think the majority of people go through that, honey. But you’d have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to not see how in love with you Ned is, Felix Turner.”

“And Bruce would have had to’ve been, too,” Felix responds. “He knew. Ned never made a move, he was never overt, but it doesn’t take much to see what- what’s important to Ned. Hell, getting an article into The Times was more important than anything happening with me, at first. He didn’t exactly go to great lengths to hide it.”

“That’s not- Ned can be insecure, sweet pea. He just had trouble believing you could be interested in something serious with him,” Tommy says.

Felix gives a slight laugh. Then, he takes a deep breath. “I hope Albert gets better, but if he doesn’t, or if he does and he and Bruce don’t work out- I wonder if he might decide Ned-”

“You aren’t drinking anymore tonight,” Tommy declares. “Look, Felix. I very strongly doubt Bruce would do that, but I promise you, if he did, you and Ned would come out stronger than ever. Because let me tell you, no matter how much Ned continues to love Bruce, you’re-“

Licking his lips, he looks over at Ned. “Sometimes, you meet someone, and you think they’re okay. Maybe you like them, but if you never saw them again, it wouldn’t be a loss. And sometimes, you and they become friends. But in some cases, they do something, and suddenly, they’re your world, your sunshine. Seeing their smile is a constant gift.”

Taking in a slight breath, Tommy turns back to Felix. “You’re his sunshine. Bruce never was, and as long as you’re around, he never can be. What’s more, he knows this, and having been the sunshine to someone else, he’s not going to issue a challenge he knows he’d badly lose. For all their disagreements, Ned truly is the best friend Bruce has ever had, and he knows that.”

“Thanks, Tommy.”

Smiling, Tommy pats his knee. “No problem.”

...

“You don’t need to help clean up, Tommy,” Ned says.

“It’s no problem.” Tommy picks up some beer bottles. “If you want to go to bed, I can let myself out.”

“Tommy, I’m not going to let you clean up my mess all by yourself.”

Shrugging, Tommy says, “Suit yourself. Um, taking into account it would be terribly rude of you to kick out the person helping you, as well as the fact being rude has never been a big concern of yours-”

“I can be very polite,” Ned protests.

“Maybe it isn’t such a good idea to have a meeting in your house and spend the whole night arguing with Bruce while Felix sits in the corner and drinks.”

Ned groans. “I know. This is the last time. It’s just that we really needed-”

“Babe, I don’t think it’s you having us all over so much as it is you spending the majority of the time with Bruce.”

Pausing, Ned asks, “Bruce? Why? Did they have a fight I didn’t-”

Letting out a sound of exasperation, Tommy says, “Okay, any hope of subtlety is officially gone. Ned, sweetheart, everyone knows you used to hold quite the torch for Bruce. Now, everyone knows that you couldn’t breathe right without Felix, including the lucky boy in question. That doesn’t mean you spending so much time with Bruce and devoting so much energy towards him isn’t bound to cause a bit of- niggling, if you will, in Felix.”

“Really?”

“I say this with love: You can be an absolute idiot, Ned Weeks,” Tommy responds.

“Right. Tommy, normally, I’d never do this, but-”

“Get the hell out?”

“Only much nicer,” Ned agrees.

Smiling, Tommy hugs him. “See you soon.”

“Thanks, Tommy. For everything.”

Breaking the hug, Tommy goes to the door, looks back at Ned’s retreating form, and with a sigh, leaves.


End file.
